Oregon is one of 27 states that has “very high” levels of COVID-19 activity, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC tests wastewater and sewage for traces of infectious diseases within a community. Data collected Aug. 9 showed that 44 states or territories had “high” or “very high” levels of activity.
Here are the states and territories that have reported wastewater viral activity levels as of Aug. 9.
Can’t see the map? Click here to view it.
Oregon COVID-19 trends
The rate of COVID-19 tests returning positive results in Oregon has been increasing since late April. For the week ending Aug. 10, the Oregon Health Authority reported that 16.7% of reported tests were positive. In April, that rate was 3.1%. Hospitalizations overall remain much lower than previous seasons.
OHA reports results of wastewater collection in Oregon. The latest wastewater sample collected between Aug. 5-7 showed no significant change from the week before in Albany, Corvallis, Dallas, Eugene and Salem, according to OHA data. But McMinnville and Stayton results showed sustained increase.
The overall trend indicated wastewater activity has generally been increasing since late April across Oregon. Stayton reported a sustained increase, while Woodburn showed a sustained decrease.
The majority of the outbreaks reported in Oregon have been in long-term care facilities. Oregon reported 15 COVID-19 outbreaks this week — all in long-term care facilities.
COVID-19 is now endemic: Reports
During an interview on NPR, health officials from the CDC said they are now classifying COVID-19 as “endemic.”
An endemic can be defined as a disease that regularly circulates within a community at an expected or normal level despite an occasional outbreak, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
“At this point, COVID-19 can be described as endemic throughout the world,” Aron Hall, the deputy director for science at the CDC’s coronavirus and other respiratory viruses division, told the radio network.
What is the current variant that has the highest amount of COVID-19 cases?
The CDC’s Nowcast data tracker, which displays COVID-19 estimates and projections for two-week periods, projects the KP.3.1.1 variant accounting for 27.8% of positive infections, followed by KP.3 at 20.1% in the two-week stretch starting July 21 and ending Aug. 3.
“The KP.3.1.1 variant is very similar to other circulating variants in the United States. All current lineages are descendants of JN.1, which emerged in late 2023,” Rosa Norman, a spokesperson at the CDC, previously told USA TODAY.
Changes in COVID-19 test positivity within a week
Data collected by the CDC shows that four western states making up Region 10 — Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington — had a 1.2% increase in positive COVID-19 cases from July 28 to Aug. 3, 2024. The data was posted on Aug. 12, 2024.
Note: The CDC organizes positivity rate based on regions, as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
COVID-19 symptoms
The CDC has not said if KP.3 or KP.3.1.1 have their own specific symptoms. However, Norman previously explained that the symptoms associated with KP.3 are similar to those from JN.1. The government agency outlines the basic symptoms of COVID-19 on its website. These symptoms can appear between two and 14 days after exposure to the virus and can range from mild to severe.
These are some of the symptoms of COVID-19:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
The CDC said you should seek medical attention if you have the following symptoms:
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion
- Inability to wake or stay awake
- Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds
Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.
Isabel Funk covers breaking news and public safety for the Statesman Journal. Funk can be reached at ifunk@statesmanjournal.com or on X at @isabeldfunk
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